An impairment is a lasting damage or weakness in a part of the body or the mind, so that part does not work as well as it should. Doctors, teachers, and official papers use this word a lot: a hearing impairment means the ears do not hear well; a visual impairment means the eyes do not see well; a cognitive or learning impairment means some kinds of thinking, remembering, or schoolwork are harder. It is a careful, rather formal word.

An impairment is a lasting damage or weakness in a part of the body or the mindimpairment是身體或心智某個部位長期性的損傷或弱化，so that part does not work as well as it should使得那個部位無法正常發揮功能。Doctors, teachers, and official papers use this word a lot醫生、老師和公文常常用這個字：a hearing impairment means the ears do not hear wella hearing impairment（聽力損傷）指耳朵聽不清楚；a visual impairment means the eyes do not see wella visual impairment（視力損傷）指眼睛看不清楚；a cognitive or learning impairment means some kinds of thinking, remembering, or schoolwork are hardera cognitive or learning impairment（認知或學習障礙）指某些思考、記憶或學校功課變得比較困難。It is a careful, rather formal word這是一個用字謹慎、相當正式的字。

In ordinary talk people more often say the plain fact — “she can’t hear well,” “his back is bad.” In disability language, impairment is about the body or mind itself (the part that is hurt or weak). Disability is often about the extra trouble a person meets in the world because of that.

In ordinary talk people more often say the plain fact在日常對話裡人們比較常直接講事實——"she can't hear well," "his back is bad."像『她聽不太清楚』、『他的背不好』。In disability language, impairment is about the body or mind itself在身心障礙相關的用語裡，impairment講的是身體或心智本身（the part that is hurt or weak)（也就是受損或弱化的那個部位）。Disability is often about the extra trouble a person meets in the world because of thatdisability講的則常常是一個人因此在這個世界上遇到的額外困難。

People also stretch it a little: impairment of judgment means your thinking is not as clear as usual, for example after drinking or when you are very tired. The word always names a loss or a weakening, not a small everyday bother, and not the person — you can say “a person with a visual impairment,” not “an impairment” for the person.

People also stretch it a little人們也會把這個字用得更寬一點：impairment of judgment means your thinking is not as clear as usualimpairment of judgment（判斷力受損）指的是你的思考不像平常那麼清楚，for example after drinking or when you are very tired例如喝酒之後或非常疲累的時候。The word always names a loss or a weakening這個字指的永遠是一種喪失或弱化，not a small everyday bother而不是日常小小的不便，and not the person也不是用來指這個人——you can say "a person with a visual impairment," not "an impairment" for the person你可以說『a person with a visual impairment』，而不會用『an impairment』來稱呼這個人。